TRANSSEXUAL and intersex students will be able to use either boys’ or girls’ toilets and change rooms under a national anti-discrimination strategy.

Under the Safe Schools Coalition, schools would also be encouraged to stop dividing students into boys’ and girls’ groups in order to help gender-diverse students.

The coalition, which will be rolled out nationally this week, will also challenge students who use terms such as “you’re so gay” as a put-down.

The voluntary initiative, which is already running in 132 Victorian schools, will also see schools establish diversity groups and review library materials. Posters about same-sex relationships, transsexuality, bisexuality and intersexuality will also be displayed.

Yesterday Roz Ward, a Safe Schools Coalition co-ordinator, said it was “important to take the pressure off some students where it’s not necessary to segregate on gender lines”.

“Males and females, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth, should play the sports they identify with,” Ms Ward said.

She said students should also be free to use toilets and change rooms of the gender they identify with rather than their biological gender, but “there would be a process that makes sure that’s safe for them and that they feel comfortable”.

The national rollout of the initiative will be launched by the Foundation for Young Australia on June 13.

Foundation CEO Jan Owen said the aim was to have “every school in this country commit to creating a safe and inspiring environment for all students”.